Apparatus for testing tires



25y w23 Mgg F. SCHFER APPARATUS FOR TESTING TIRES Filed June 13, 1919 4 Sneehs-=$heet 2 W. 1 V '1 e Mr# Meg. 9 l figi'L F. SCHAFER APPARATUS FOR TESTING TRES Filed June l5', 1919 4 Shee5-5h9t 5 Dea, W3. 11A-m53? F. SCHAFER APPARATUS FOR TESTING TIRES Filed June 15, 1 919 sheercsn'heet 4 JANE'. SGEAFER, OF BARBEETGN, UEM?.

EPEE/TUS F033; TESTEENG 'Elli/ES.

Application filed. June 13,

Tc @il whom t may concern.'

it lmowu that l, FRANK SCHAFER, e of the United States, residing at .item iii the county of Summit and State o Ukio, have invented certain lim Movements in Apparatus for lTesting Tires. lus i veritiorl relates to a method and apparatus for testing the strength und Wearing qualities off tires; ci' reproducing as neer 1o es pessihle, cctqiai road conditions, in which the tires ere tested on the automobile itself uoder its own power plant; of means for verging or .civienging the roed surface, reproduc4T either e smooth-or rough roed- Wujy; ci seus 'for providing a braking resistance ..o e speed of the tires approximating; road t editions, oit means whereby this "Woking is hot dissipated in useless heut hut ihtouseful light, heat or zo power having actuel Value; of adjustable means for crying the speed of rotation of the tires, @mi other new and novel feetures es maybe hrought out in the follow# ihedescriptiou., f v 25 Fig. l is e. plexi View of the apparatus bowing en automobile chassis with its 4tires resting ou the roadway and flexibly held Within c supporting freine.

Fig. 2 is a .side elevation of Fig. l showing the tires resting on. the roedwey Wheels mid the braking resistance ed hy e. dynamo or pump thus furnishing useful light, heet or power.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. l the tires resting on the roadway Wlieeis ud .means for veryiug 'the speed of wer plant of the chessie.

Fig. fi is en enlarged pien View of hlociz Vszroooth roadway and e section of the '.,wey ii/heel.

Y. is c sectiouai vview of ig. showf boite c. hiock to the roadway 6 is e side eievetion of the rocdwey showiog e. consecutivo number o is secured thereto.

tia e View showing holes in the supg channels for the bolts to permit move hearings oit the roedwa wheels to ricfioiiimode autoiriohiles of: diierent Wheel e 'View'. pertly sectional. showing t "-viiich causes o side thrust wertig sectional. eimiier to `iiig iii. ng 32 secured i?,

191e. serial No. 304,671.

Fig. 7, showing e form of block causing e side'thrust opposite to that of Fig'. 7.

Fig. is a view, partly sectional, showing u form of block approximuting a road rut.

iiig. l() is a. View, partly sectional, showin o0 e form of block approximating a, rough roe. i

Fig. 1l is an isometric View of the block shown in lgs. Z `and 8.

Fig. 12 is :in isometric View of the block shown in Fig. 9. e5

Fig. 13 is an isometric View of the block shown in Fig. l0.

*Fig le is an isometric view oi e modied oruiof rough road block.

Referring-to the drawings, l designates a. suitable foundation of any desired construction or material which supoorts the channels- 2 to which are secured tie uprights 3 to which are also secured the channels 4-7 5 end 6; these channels and uprights are securely fastened together and malte e freinev Work, the purpose oi which will he disclosed here I inciter.

7 designates bearings secured to channels 2 in which rotate shafts 8 to which ere secured the roadway wheels 9 end to the pcriphery of which is secured the ioloclts l0, l1, 12,'13, 13a by suitable holte, the ietrer forming the actuel rondweg; upon which the tires le of the automobile rim'.

15 designates the frame or" the automobile which is tiexihly secured to the channels e mid 6 hy springs i6 est the end7 i? et the front eind end 18 et the sides. y

Also secured to the shui? .s 8 .ere sprockets iii) 'certify erouud 'which posses e chain 2@ hich. causes the roadway 'wheels to in unison. it secured teorie of the shete is poile? 25. partly erouiid which plissee el heit 22 which also 'passes partly erouudje ley 23 ci the dymemo 2li rotating the" checo ture of letter che? thereby es e bitching resist-mice 'to the roadway wheels 9.

ilse secured che the B is e. pulley around which pcm-es c. heit Q6 which cleo pertiy @round pulley 27 of the pump 22S sind :thereby acting :is e limiting resi .nce to the roadway 'wheels 9 in e meneer eimiler to the dynamo.

29 designe-tes s.' heit which passes porti f expound one of the shafts 8 end also partly around ouiley 30 secured to shaft iii rotct to chennei 5; lcfmml Mii oleo meure cured to channel 5. The lever 38 has at one end a series of holes in which are pivoted bars 41 and 4-2 which are pivot-ally connected to the gas and spark ment of the steering wheel of' the auto mobile so as to vary the'position of' these in a manner similar to manual control. The bars 41 and 42 also have a series ot holes through which a suitable pin passes so as to vary the amount of gas and change the position ofthe spark as desired.

For clearness of illustration l have shown an automobile with its power plant, steeringwheel and tires. In actual operation a ,complete automobile can be used and the vpassengers can be replaced by suitable weights; therefore m using the word auto- ".mobile it is intended that it shall embody l l supported within the framework ofthe chansections and tif) ' center of the roadway wheel 9.

nels 3, a, 5 and 6 by the springs 16, 17 and 18. As soon as the engine of the automobile is started it willrotate the tires '1a which by frictional contact on the blocks 10 11, 12, 13 and 13 would cause the automobile 4to' move to the left as seen in'Figs. 1 and 2; this forward motion is resistedfby the springs 16 which are hinged or secured to theframe of the automobile and also to the channel 4 thus holding th automobile approximately stationary as regards forward motion; asthc roadway blocks 10, 11, 12, 13, 13n are of various shapesand heights they will upon rotation ot the roadway wheels 9 cause the automobile to move up and down or vibrate in a manner similar to actual road conditions; springs 17 and 18 are provided at the front and sides respectively to hold the automobile and consequently the tires 141 at or about the rlifhe roadway wheels 9 are oi such a construction and material as will be sutiiciently stron to support 'an automobile and on its perip ery are secured the roadway blocks 10, 11, 12 13, 13 which can be made of any suitable material suchas wood, brick, cement, concrete` fibre, ete., and are made in secured to the periphery of the roadway wheels 9 by bolts as shown in Figs. 4i, 5, and 6.,

'lt is obvious that a roadway of any de.- -sired surface can be constructed by varying' the contour or surface ot' the blocks; also in View oit the fact that the surface is made up of sections, a smooth roadway can be built or a rough one or one partly with a rut.

la turning earners either to the iight or Lacasse left aside thrust is caused o the tires which can be duplicated by usi. blocks such as 12 for part of' the roadway.

When the tire 1a revolves the rictional contact revolvesf. the roadway wheels 9 and consequently one of the shafts 8, partly around which passes belt 29, which also passes partly around pulley 3() secured to shaft. 31 in bearing 32; bevel gear 33 is se cured to this shaft and meshes with'and rotates bevel gear 3% secured to shatt rotating in bearing 36; to shaft 35,'is secured crank disk 36h to which is rod 37; this rod is also pivoted to lever pivotedpon bracket L10 secured to than'nel 3' (Fig. 3). Pivoted to the other erid', 'ft lien/er 38 are connecting rods 41 and t2 wh ch are pivoted to the gas and spark segment oit the envine.

lt. will be noted thatthe lever 38 and connecting rods 41' and 12 have a series of holes in them through which pass the pins on which. they pivot and it is obvious that the movement and position of the gas and sparta segment can be varied by using any-.desired lone of' the holes.

The. rotation ot' the shaft 8 through belt 29, pulley 30, gears 33 and 3a will rotate crank disk36b and this through connectingw rod 37, lever 38 and connecting rods 11 and f 4-.2 will cause the gas and spark segment to move to and t'ro, thus auttnnatically' change` ling the speed of the engine; this wouldpivoted ccnanectingg en le be in e'fiect the same as an automobile go# inar upyor down a hill.

In this case l would prefer to use as a braking; means the pump 28 which is driven' by pulley 25, belt. 26 and pulley 27.

lt is obvious that a change of speed would not be objectionable in using a pump and that a brakingy e'tect similar to an aut-omobile moving on a roadway is produced thereby.

lr" a constant speed ,is desired then the vbelt 29 is thrown ofi'l or removed and the braking effect is then produced by pulley 21, belt 22, and pulley 23 rotating the arma ture ot the dynamo 24.

Bybraking effect as herein used is meant some `form of resistance to the rotation of the roadway wheels 9; it.` is obvious that a tire would not receive a correct test if' it were onlyused to rotate the wheel 9, but by introducing some form. of resistance to the wheel 9. the strength and wearing` qual ities of the tire is tested as the e'cct is the same as the reaction between the tire and the actual roadway. An especial-ly valuable feaure of this a paratus lies in the value of useful power tiat is available while the tires arel'being tested; about 75% of the power developed by the engine being available for purposes of furnishing light, heat or power for any desired se. s an example, it can be assumed that a a0 ltll. l?. engine lith is used Yn an :lutomdbe @hat is 'To A pose; assuming u ow Vahxatm ci l cent per hour pel' this wif;

curing the the roadway w Vfl. l, and

dynamf; :1S i.)eng but 1'? understood any mecha? bmlimg ao@ The roadway docks aan be made 0 desired material, slape @y form, so -xs t@ pxuximuw :my given 1:02141 coudlmon :um if in time. they become wom, Garn easily b@- rcplnced, and the roadway being secona'l d cam be mud@ Smooh 0r rough in any prv G. a mums portion, iup; Ymmfs @Oman y s i D.

automob, means for fnzbly suppng an .mms @00pm auomoblf: therebetween roadw L the turen?, and n uvcommodue @ummm buse.

whculs io automobe, means for he* f automobl thai-elm loadway which rest h@ tiras 21113- f 

